Chapter 1602: The Return of Shen Shen Jinxiao

In the royal hall of the Northern Domain Wang Ting, everyone—including Gong Yuan—was shaken to their core by this sudden news, so no one paid attention to Si Cheng's loss of composure.

As the scout nervously confirmed the truth of the intelligence, a series of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the hall one after another.

Among them, Si Cheng's expression was the most volatile, his face alternating between pale and flushed, his eyes flickering with anger and regret—he never imagined that the boy who had fled Great Xia like a stray dog would return years later in such a shocking manner.

According to the intelligence, Li Luo not only possessed terrifying personal strength but also stood behind a top-tier force with astonishing depth; before such a power, not only was House House Jinque but even the Northern Domain Wang Ting under Gong Yuan's command was as insignificant as ants.

"How could this..."

Si Cheng's heart burned with shock and fury, and he regretted his past decision—after all, before the Mansion Sacrifice, House House Jinque and Luo Lan Mansion had maintained good relations, and many had regarded House House Jinque as Luo Lan Mansion's ally, assuming Si Cheng would firmly support Luo Lan Mansion on the day of the sacrifice.

Yet no one had expected that House House Jinque, once Luo Lan Mansion's ally, would betray it—and Si Cheng had even taken the initiative to join the hunt against Luo Lan Mansion.

In contrast, Du Ze Mansion, which had clashed with Luo Lan Mansion for years, chose instead to lend aid at this critical moment.

Du Ze Yan had even intervened to block Si Cheng.

Back then, Si Cheng had thought Du Ze Yan foolish, blind to the situation—Luo Lan Mansion being hunted and carved up by Great Xia's major forces was an irreversible fact; without Li Tai Zhu Xuan or Dan Tai Lan's presence, Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, mere youths, could never hold onto such a tempting inheritance.

So Si Cheng had decisively chosen betrayal, aiming to carve out a share from Luo Lan Mansion's corpse.

For years, his two children had grown distant from him because of it.

But Si Cheng didn't care—he did it all for House House Jinque's growth.

Yet when today's intelligence arrived, Si Cheng felt his mental defenses shatter, for it meant his past choice was wrong—he had underestimated Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge...

And in the end, he might pay an extremely heavy price for it.

Gong Yuan glanced at Si Cheng, who looked utterly shattered, frowned slightly—he understood the man's inner turmoil, and it irritated him, but his deep composure kept him from showing it; after all, Si Cheng was still one of the Northern Domain Wang Ting's top forces.

"That Li Luo hails from the Li Li Tianwang lineage of Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou, and the reinforcements he brought must also come from there," a voice suddenly broke the oppressive silence; all turned to see a man strolling calmly from behind the hall, showing not the slightest trace of reverence toward the Northern Domain Wang Ting.

The man had double pupils—one gold, one silver—overlapping, giving him an eerie aura.

Seeing him, even Gong Yuan rose immediately and smiled warmly: "Lord Zhu Xuan Chen, you've finally returned."

This double-pupiled man, named Lord Zhu Xuan Chen, was the true mastermind behind the Great Xia upheaval—and he himself was a member of the Guiyi Society.

Back then, Lord Zhu Xuan Chen was already a Seventh-Rank Marquis; throughout Great Xia, if Pang Pang Qianyuan hadn't emerged, no one could have checked him—and when the Catastrophe split Great Xia north and south, he retreated with Gong Yuan to the Northern Domain.

But over these years, Lord Zhu Xuan Chen had rarely appeared in public, occasionally leaving Great Xia to carry out other missions upon orders from the Guiyi Society's headquarters.

Si Cheng bowed slightly, then asked with a pale face: "The Li Li Tianwang lineage of Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou? So Li Tai Zhu Xuan and Li Luo come from such a force? Is Li Tai Zhu Xuan so bored he left that sacred place to come to this backwater of Great Xia?"

He was furious and stunned—if he had known Li Tai Zhu Xuan and Li Luo had such a background, he would have become Luo Lan Mansion's most loyal ally!

"Li Tai Zhu Xuan merely left the Li Li Tianwang lineage due to certain incidents," Lord Zhu Xuan Chen said with a faint smile. "And though the Li Tianwang lineage is strong, you need not be so terrified—within the eyes of the Guiyi Society, the Li Tianwang lineage means little."

"If you fear Li Luo will settle accounts with you in the future, consider joining the Guiyi Society. You rejected my offer before—surely you have no excuse now?"

Si Cheng and Zhu Zhu Qinghuo, Lord of Ji Yan Mansion, exchanged glances and sighed inwardly; though Great Xia was remote, they had vaguely sensed the Guiyi Society's terror over the years—but the Guiyi Society was too sinister, and with families to protect, they had reservations.

Yet now that Li Luo had returned with overwhelming force, if he truly quelled the Catastrophe, the Northern Domain Wang Ting might not withstand him—and to avoid being punished by Li Luo later, they needed protection.

After a few seconds of silence, Si Cheng and Zhu Zhu Qinghuo both bowed deeply to Lord Zhu Xuan Chen: "We are willing to join the Guiyi Society. Please, Lord Zhu Xuan Chen, guide us."

Lord Zhu Xuan Chen nodded with a smile, and Gong Yuan, seeing this, wore a faintly complex expression—but he did not oppose it, for he himself had joined the Guiyi Society years ago.

"Lord Zhu Xuan Chen, Li Luo has returned with reinforcements from the Li Li Tianwang lineage and has slain one of the Four Evil Kings—the Fox Demon King. If he truly resolves the Catastrophe, our Northern Domain may well be unable to resist," Gong Yuan said to Lord Zhu Xuan Chen.

Lord Zhu Xuan Chen smiled pleasantly: "Your Majesty, do not rush—this Catastrophe is not so simple. The Eight-Headed Black Demon King places great importance on Great Xia; it will not let this Catastrophe dissipate easily."

"The death of one Fox Demon King won't cripple them."

"As for that Li Luo... though he has indeed grown formidable now, someone will deal with him."

Hearing this, Gong Yuan's expression shifted slightly as he probed: "Has the Guiyi Society sent reinforcements?"

Lord Zhu Xuan Chen smiled faintly—and in the next instant, a chilling aura seemed to flow through the hall; then, Gong Yuan, Zhu Zhu Qinghuo, and Si Cheng—all Marquis-level powerhouses—saw with widened pupils that a figure had appeared in the hall without their notice.

From that figure, an aura of inexplicable dread subtly radiated.

Even Gong Yuan, lord of the Northern Domain, could not suppress a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead; he was about to respectfully bow and inquire—when the figure lifted the hood obscuring his face.

"Your Majesty, long time no see. How have you been?"

As the face beneath the hood's shadow was illuminated by the bright lamps, Gong Yuan and the others all gasped.

"Shen Shen Jinxiao?!"

The newcomer was none other than Shen Shen Jinxiao, who had vanished for years!

Yet what shocked Gong Yuan and the others was how terrifying the aura now emanating from Shen Shen Jinxiao was—it had surpassed even the peak Marquis rank! Had he, in these years, touched the King realm?

How could this be possible!

Gong Yuan's eyes were filled with shock and envy—the King realm was what he had longed for; yet despite years of Guiyi Society support, he remained impossibly distant from that step.

Even Lord Zhu Xuan Chen looked at Shen Shen Jinxiao with complex eyes—he had been the one to discover Shen Shen Jinxiao's ambition and draw him into the Guiyi Society; he never imagined the man would now have gone further than him, and he had also sensed that Shen Shen Jinxiao had even won the favor of the Li Tianwang Lord Master within the Guiyi Society.

After several seconds, Gong Yuan calmed his emotions and bowed respectfully to Shen Shen Jinxiao: "Congratulations, Master Shen, your strength has advanced greatly."

Shen Shen Jinxiao's eyes, glowing with dark luster, slowly swept across the familiar faces in the hall, smiling: "Your Majesty, rest assured—I have returned with one goal: Li Luo. With the Guiyi Society behind us, even his backing from the Li Li Tianwang lineage need not be feared."

Hearing Shen Shen Jinxiao's declaration, Gong Yuan, Si Cheng, Zhu Zhu Qinghuo—all those who had participated in the hunt against Luo Lan Mansion years ago—breathed a silent sigh of relief.

With the Guiyi Society's immense backing, Li Luo and his Li Li Tianwang lineage were no longer something to fear.

"Your Majesty, please mobilize your military and all factions—Li Luo has returned with force and will inevitably launch a counterattack against the Catastrophe, attempting to eradicate the threat entirely before the Eight-Headed Black Demon King fully descends. This spectacle, we absolutely cannot miss," Shen Shen Jinxiao said with a smile.

Gong Yuan's eyes flickered—he too feared the Catastrophe, for the aberrations were non-human and incomprehensible; if conditions allowed, he too wished to resolve it. But he knew his Northern Domain Wang Ting lacked the strength to do so—and the Guiyi Society would never permit it.

Though he was nominally lord of the Northern Domain Wang Ting, in truth, he was merely a puppet of the Guiyi Society.

He sighed inwardly, yet his expression remained neutral; he merely bowed to Shen Shen Jinxiao.

"Master Shen, rest assured—I will make the arrangements."